Video: Michelle hammers McCain for not condemning the Palin smears

posted at 5:05 pm on November 12, 2008 by Allahpundit

More in sadness than in anger. Like she says, this isn’t standard political sniping on the Kerry/Edwards model; whispers about differences in strategy are one thing, whispers about whether the VP’s an abject moron quite another. And for the record, Cavuto’s wrong in wondering whether McCain’s heard about the smears. We know that he has, from the ‘Cuda herself and from one of his own top people in New Hampshire.

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Fine…I’ll write slower so you can understand.
It you do not like Michelle Malkin and her viewpoint, do not post comments on her sites. Go over to the Kos Kids where I am sure they will be more apt to appreciate your point of view.

kingsjester on November 12, 2008 at 6:55 PM

God forbid something disagrees with Michelle about something. We must all march in lock-step! Down with McCain! Up with Palin! McCain doesn’t owe Palin a damn thing. It’s the other way around.

Palin was running for the second highest office in the land. Did anyone think that Obama was supposed to come to Biden’s defense when people called him a lunatic. No, people actually expected Biden to defend himself.

Now, McCain picked Palin to be his VP, that means that he had faith in her. And when these socalled smears started, we did not if there real, if they were a hoax, where they came from or anything else. For all we know this is a media/blogger created controversy to fill up space.

And people like Malkin have made sure that as many people as possible heard about the whole thing.

Personally I like and respect Sarah Palin and it is obvious that McCain respects her too. If that is not good enough for Palin I am not surprised. She never liked McCain, could not even make up her mind to vote for him and I don’t doubt that she is happy to have something else to complain about.

But Palin is not some damsel in distress. To treat her as if she were is a sort of insult in and of itself.

McCain is the strangest candidate I have seen chase the presidency. But he is consistent. You just have to look for it.

I see a symmetry in Senator McCain’s handling of this and his ads, speeches, pulling his punches in the first two debates and even his ‘centrist’ positions in his legislative career. He wants to be in the middle, do no harm, handle everything deftly, be acceptable to most everyone and not do too much for the people closest to him. Who? Like Republicans, political donors, legal American citizens, other vets and now running mates.

I can not believe people are blaming this on McCain. He gave Palin the chance to be his runniing mate. He did not have to do that. She took him on it. She did not have to do that either.

She was an unknown, if not for this opportunity, she might well have remained one. McCain has never said anything even remotely unkind about Palin. He has in no way justified anyone else saying anything unkind about her.

Some reporters take some unsourced gossip and try to make a big story out of it, some bloggers jump on gossip and then go over the deep end with it….and now they are upset that McCain did not call anyone out for a duel or something. The whole thing is just so stupid. I think MM is exploiting the whole situation.

McCain has never said an unkind word about Palin. I don’t know what MM thought he was supposed to do.Terrye on November 12, 2008 at 7:12 PM

McCain derangement syndrome.

There is no way to use logic to explain this. Many here have been against him from the start, and will not believe anything good about him and always assume the worst. Those pesky things called facts don’t enter into the equation.

McCain picked her. McCain defended her. Every day. And now all of a sudden, they want us to believe their BS that McCain hates Plain by not denouncing what he didn’t say in a place that he was never in attendance. You see, they believe this because they think that McCain hates all conservatives, or whatever else BS is in their minds that is their opinion that they state as fact.

This is the low water mark for being a conservative, for being a republican and to be associated with people here who you would think would never act like the degenerates at the huffington post and the daily kos. But this is the same behavior. Very disgusting. Very disappointing.

God forbid something disagrees with Michelle about something. We must all march in lock-step! Down with McCain! Up with Palin! McCain doesn’t owe Palin a damn thing. It’s the other way around.

SnarkVader on November 12, 2008 at 7:19 PM

McCain did bring Sarah into the spotlight. But when he did so he went from walking dead to viable contender. She has had nothing but respect for McCain. For him to adopt this attitude is reprehensible.

He is at the end of his career, Sarah Palin is at the very begining of hers.

Palin is obviously a very nice and engaging person but she simply does not have the depth to pull off winning nationally. I’m sure Africa was just a slip anyone is capable of but there were lots of answers to reasonable interview questions which illustrated she had no idea what she was talking about and her poll numbers suffered accordingly. Fine, she get the base going, but she also turns off lots of moderates and traditional republicans. She polls a little bit like Clinton. I’m sure she can do better but for now she should work away in Alaska and build a good record (and probably repair her image there as a non-partisan).

McCain can do what he likes. It’s a little tiring hearing all the demands that he do this that or the other like his honor depends on defending Palin. She can defend herself fine.

It is as if people were going out of their way to make something out of this. You would think that if they were really that bothered by the things that some supposedly said about Palin they would not want to cause her more hurt or embarrassment by beating the issue to death and dragging McCain into it and making sure everyone on the planet heard about it.

What attitude? What the hell attitude has McCain adopted toward Palin? He has never said anything remotely unkind or insulting about the woman. If Palin has a future in national politics it is largely due to John McCain’s decisiion to put her on the ticket. I like her, I respect her, I voted for both her and McCain but the truth is McCain’s numbers were just as good back in the spring before he picked her.

Does not defend her? What does that mean? He said he thought the world of her. He thought she was wonderful. He could not be happier with her…etc. I have heard all those things myself. What is he supposed to do? Call a press conference and go through the smears one by one and answer each and everyone of them?

The whole thing is demeaning to them both. The sooner people shut up about it the better of Palin will be. This is not helping her.

the truth is McCain’s numbers were just as good back in the spring before he picked her.

Terrye on November 12, 2008 at 7:43 PM

WTF? You are delusional

McCain would have gotten blown out without Governor Palin. McCain could not draw 200 people on a good day. His campaign contributions were pathetic. Governor Palin changed all that and got him 40 million votes by herself. I have never heard of a person who voted for McCain because of McCain. Not a single one.

Well then don’t school me. I will just assume that you think Palin is a simpleminded little female incapable of defending herself and therefore she needs John McCain to respond he forcing hundreds of campaign workers to take detectors or something.

The truth is it would not matter what McCain did or not did not do, it would not be enough for some people.

I for one am not surprised. McCain was nothing more than a democrat in Republican clothing. Now that the Election is over, he knows she is a leading candidate for 2012,throwing her under the bus is in Military term is “A Pre-Emptive Strike.

Terrye – you won. Whyn’t you take your hate elsewhere now, or is it so thoroughly embedded in you that you can’t turn off the snark and sarcasm and keyboard and go live whatever passes for your pathetic little liberal life?

Sarah Palin campaigns her heart out for him/ the attacks from the media were disgusting/ he threw her to the wolves/ he had a card-carrying Democrat as her stylist and make-up artist, and he let her twist in the wind over that one…

The anonymous quotes from his own staff called her a bimbo and an idiot, and HE SHRUGS.

I loved that look MM gave Cavuto. Even he almost laughed. The look on his face was, “I know. Stupid question.”

What is the point of condemnation when the leakers are anonymous? It shames no one and merely draws more attention to the content of the smears. The best way to handle patently ridiciously charges is to dismiss them. McCain has done that and reiterated his respect and admiration for Sarah. That’s good enough for me.

I think people like MM are making way too much out of this for their own reasons. McCain has never said an unkind word about Palin. I don’t know what MM thought he was supposed to do.

Terrye on November 12, 2008 at 7:12 PM

It’s simple: as a leader, you protect your team members no matter what goes on internally. Bush gets this and, according to General Peter Pace, so did Rumfeld.
All he had to do is say: “that’s nonsense” and put forth so platitudes.

Even we enlisted persons know the basics of simple loyalty–especially when another has gone through some tough times for us.

But I’m not surprised to find out how many don’t understand this basic form of decency.

It’s simple: as a leader, you protect your team members no matter what goes on internally. Bush gets this and, according to General Peter Pace, so did Rumfeld.
All he had to do is say: “that’s nonsense” and put forth so platitudes.

Even we enlisted persons know the basics of simple loyalty–especially when another has gone through some tough times for us.

But I’m not surprised to find out how many don’t understand this basic form of decency.

McCain should have said that he is embarassed that some in his campaign have acted so disrespectfully towards the person who gave the campaign not just a semblance of life but overwheming and enthusiatic life! He owes her big!

It’s simple: as a leader, you protect your team members no matter what goes on internally. Bush gets this and, according to General Peter Pace, so did Rumfeld.
All he had to do is say: “that’s nonsense” and put forth some platitudes.

Even we enlisted persons know the basics of simple loyalty–especially when another has gone through some tough times for us. But I’m not surprised to find out how many don’t understand this basic form of decency.
baldilocks on November 12, 2008 at 9:32 PM

Protect Sarah Palin from rumors? From unnamed people.

When I heard the report, I didn’t believe that it was true. He didn’t have to come out and try to convince me that Sarah Palin isn’t an idiot. I knew that already.

And if he did? Would that have convinced all the people in the press and the democrats that already believed the worst about her? No. Wouldn’t have changed their minds at all.

This has nothing to do with John McCain and everything to do with you. And by ‘you,’ I mean you people. The people who don’t give him the benefit of the doubt, and who think the worst of him. The same people who believe the same lies about McCain that the left believes. And you are showing your true colors when you “you people” align yourselves with them.

Obama shoved McCain to the floor and now you people are gleefully kicking him in the teeth. As I said before, it’s disgusting. Thinking the worst of him and proclaiming him guilty until proven innocent. Conservatives, decent people wouldn’t do this. But because you all hate John McCain, it’s acceptable. Then again, i’m not shocked that you – you people don’t understand this basic form of decency, because you are displaying none here. It takes a lot of balls to accuse others of not understanding or having decency – when such indecency is being perpetrated here.

I’m late posting here, so it’ll be missed. But I thought you did well in the interview. You are not saying ‘um’ nearly as much and it makes you look more composed and confident in what you are saying (whether or not you are). Well done.

BTW, if his staff had said this stuff about Obama, do you think he’d have waited a week to speak up about it? Do you really?

Palin is obviously a very nice and engaging person but she simply does not have the depth to pull off winning nationally. I’m sure Africa was just a slip anyone is capable of but there were lots of answers to reasonable interview questions which illustrated she had no idea what she was talking about and her poll numbers suffered accordingly…

She can defend herself fine.

Which is it? You guys need to stick to the script he gives you. Your improv skills suck.

It was more like McCain took a dive. He didn’t much resist being shoved to the floor by the O. His campaign was pretty pathetic as has been much of his political career from my viewpoint. His attacks against both the 1st and 2nd amendments have been going on for years. If not for McCain-Feingold the NRA and others would have had been much more effective against Obama. How has that fine piece of legislation worked out?

All he needed to do concerning Palin was to dismiss the leaks AT THE FIRST. That he didn’t makes it appear that he condones them.

According to you. And according to the democrats. And according to the republicans/conservatives who also like the democrats that think the worst about McCain and don’t give him the benefit of the doubt.

John McCain and Sarah Palin have had a consistent reply to this false rumor.

“If they’re an unnamed source, then that says it all,” she said. “I won’t comment on anybody’s gossip, or allegations that are based on anonymous sources. That’s kind of a small, evidently bitter type of person who would anonymously charge something foolish like that, that I perhaps didn’t know an answer to a question. So until I know who was talking about it, I won’t have a comment on false allegations.”

To not comment on it.

Sarah Palin does not make it appear that she condones the rumors, and neither does John McCain. To any reasonable person who looks at this and is not already pre-biased to think they know the worst about John McCain.

If you want to go through life thinking the worst about people – how about you try to do this about democrats. For a change, here. Because in most instances, you’ll be right.

….. To the point that he has hurt conservatives over and over again to pal/side with the donks/libs. Can you see that is why he is disliked by many over on this side. We — at least some of us — voted for him because the alternative was much, much worse and not because we had much respect for where he stands politically. I (we?) feel that with his half a$$ed campaign he has let us down once again. I am not about kicking him while he is down. I just want him to stand up and to really be a Republican and a conservative. Right now my trust and respect for him is at an all time low. If he is still the man he used to be, I want him to act like it.

I voted for Romney in the primary. He’s not ‘my hero,’ but McCain is obviously your villain.

McCain would make a better president than Obama. That some close-minded people here have lost respect for McCain goes without saying. McCain has lived a long life and can go through his last years in comfort. You, on the other hand, and the others here will live the rest of your lives in ignorance and bias against a man who does not deserve it – but in the end, he’s a better person than you.